Tuesday, February 1, 2011

I'd thought he was just one of those US physics professors who didn't know about conservation of momentum, but it turns out that he's not so stupid after all. At one of the International Workshops in Tsukuba Epochal (a soulless building in the most soulless town in Japan) that are held around this time of year in order to use up the budget on meaningless and harmful travel, there appeared one Pielke senior - on the big screen! Japanese internets being blazingly fast, interaction suffered no delay. At the end there was a little time for platitudes, during which much regret was voiced for all the things "missed" for not being there in person. But what did he really miss?

A warm friendly handshake from James?
Note how much bigger (bigger=better?) than James is Pielke.

Sunset in Tsukuba Epochal. Yes, there's still no one around.

There is never anyone there... apart from the people who polish it.

This is more like it - real Japan?

Oh no - the workshop dinner is at a Yuba (soya milk curd) speciality restaurant!

At least our beer is no worse than that in Colorado (whence liveth the Pielke)

Now we're talking! The first place I ever ate pizza - in the 1970s - was Shakey's Pizza Parlour in Boulder, Colorado. That restaurant is long gone - but curiously they can be found here and there in Japan. One such establishment occupies prime real estate in downtown Tsukuba. Yes, that's a slice of chocolate and banana pizza! Surely Pielke would have felt right at home here after all. What a shame he couldn't be here in person....